Trip to Manali, establishing new contacts

On Wednesday our schedule was rather self-effacing, consequently we went to Manali for the first time. Every tourist whose foot touches Himachal ought to go to Manali. Young ones – to smoke up, elders – to visit the temples. However one nation deserves a special commentary. Israelis! Escaping the army and enjoying a cheap “study in India” term, Manali is the New Promised Land.

Once on the by-pass, we got a hike from a rickshaw truck. We weren’t alone, three pressurized butane gas balloons accompanied us. Instructions on them clearly said “Keep under 30 C, Be careful!”. What a coincidence, the local air temperate had been 30C for a few days then, and the rickshaw besides its ability to wrap the space time, bounced up and down on the road. Say, instead of 40 minutes “standard” (nothing comes in standards here) trip, we’d been shaken for 2.

City center was magnificent and taken care of. I know that one of my friends lived there for a long time, now I wondered to which school did he go, maybe I was walking the same paths as he did? Me and Anine went to the Holy Star private school, there we had to meet a contact person for the Nepali immigrant worker’s school, which was somewhere out of reach. Listen, the abovementioned “holy star” turned out to be a David’s star  This made me laugh for a period of time. However, morning prayers were conducted in the Catholic tradition.

Soon we met Prashana, his wife Sunny and their daughter Joyce. Besides being lovely Christians, they helped around with the Nepali school as well, Sunny’s been working there since April. She explained that the school can barely pay 2000 Rs for the rent, and bus services. She explained, there were 30 children with a really poor level of English. Nepali’s come to Manali to work in the tourism industry, construction sites and part time workers, due to higher salaries, and many of their children abandon education whatsoever. Local Nepalis were pushing for a school like that, and they partially fund it.

Sky turned black, and we opted for home. A few tourist cabs stopped for us, “Kullu, 10 000 Rs, come with me ;)”, they were kindly refused. Few cars would stop, but in the end I was laying down on a styrofoam mattress, observing the Milky Way. Light pollution is sparse in the mountain regions. I dreamed about Us and Our future, and a powerful motorcycle, cozy apartment, warmth borrowed from You. Is it true that the stars are at their best when one looks at them alone? True true…
As for now, we have got 3 new institutions: the blind school, Napali school and Bhrat Bharati